Dimming reflector



Oct. 7 1924. 1,511,102

w. J. BROWN DIMMING REFLECTO R Filed Sept. 1, 1922 INVENTOR WILLIAM JBROWN Patented Get. 7, 1924.

UNITED STATES- WILLIAM JAMES BROWN, or 'rononro, ONTARIQCANADA.

DIMMING REFLECTOR.

Application filed September 1, 1922. Serial No. 585,782.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM JAMES BROWN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of the city or Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dimming Reflectors, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in dimming reflectors and the object of the invention is to devise a dimming device which is incorporated in and forms an integral part of the reflector structure and therefore cannot be shaken or moved out of its normal position so as to prevent it functioning as desired, and such as will prevent all glare in the eyes of those approaching the automobile carrying said reflector and at the same time provide a broad field of light extending to each side of the path of travel of the automobile and such as will be simple and chea to manufacture and it consists essentially of a headlight reflector, the rear wall portion of which carrying the light source is circular and set in a vertical plane from the edge of which extends the forwardly and outwardly curved wall portion of the reflector, the surface of which is broken to form an edge outlining a tongue shaped space extending downward from the aforesaid circular wall portion beneath and radially of the light source as hereinafter more particularly explained by the following specification.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a headlight showing my dimming reflector in position therein.

Fig. 2 is Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary of the reflector wall.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of an alternative construction.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

1 indicates the headlight casing which is of any suitable construction and in which is located my dimming reflector 2 secured therein in the usual manner. The reflector 2 is formed with a rear, circular wall portion 3 set vertical and provided with a central orifice 4: through which the base portion of the incandescent light bulb 5 forming the light source extends.

a sectional view on line 2-2,

detail of a portion The outwardly and forwardly curved wall portion 6 of the reflector extends from the outer edge of the circular wall portion 3. The interior surface of the wall portion 6 is broken at 7 by a depression 8 which extends radially from the circular end wall 3 to directly beneath the light source, the forward end of such depression terminating as indicated at 9 in proximity to the outer circular edge of the reflector, which edge portion is formed by an unbroken interior circular surface.

The edge 7 outlines a tion extending radially downward from the circular portion 3, the lower outer end of such tongue shaped space being narrower in width than the diameter of the circular portion 3.

Although I being parallel,

tongue shaped porhave indicated the. edges 7 as it will. of course, be understood that hey may be converged towards their outer end or be any desired shape so long as the tongue shaped space formed thereby is at all points narrower than the diameter of the circular portion 3. The edge portion 7 also gradually curves upward so as to merge into the main surface of the reflector portion 6. 1.0 is a filling of asbestos or other suitable non-reflecting substance which is inserted in the depressed portion 8, the base of the incandescent lamp 5 extending through such filling as indicated in Figure 1.

From this description it will be seen that those light rays which normally are reflected upward and those reflected directly forward into the eyes of any person approaching the automobile are absorbed by the non-reflecting substance 10 thereby eliminating all glare.

At the same time the curved surface extending at each side of the tongue shaped space and the aforesaid filling serves to direct rays laterally to each side of the automobile and thereby broaden the field of light at each side thereof.

It will, of course, be understood that although I have described the tongue shaped space as forming a depression such space might be formed by an opening extending completely through the reflector wall with the light absorbing or non-refiecting medium located beneath the opening. Or, under certain conditions, the light absorbing medium might be dispensed with, the opening above described permitting the light rays to pass through the reflector and thereby be preventedfromr being, reflected upward to form a glare, the headlight casing, of course, belng provided with a COIIBSPOIlCllIlg.OPGIllllgi as indicated in'Fi'gure 4;

From this description it Will beseen-that by the vibra'tionofthe automobile out of its normal'po'sition and thereby cease to function in "a proper manner.

What I 'claim as my invention is:

A dimming reflector comprising a *reflec tor bodytprovided withacircular back Wall set in a vertical plane, aimain wall portion curved forward and outward therefrom and having its. interior surfaceldepressed so as to form a'tongue receiving recess of less Width'than the diameter of the circular Wall and extending downward from the vertical Wall; directly-ben ath: the light source to a point in proximity to the outer edge of the reflector, and a sheet-of light .absorbingzmaterial formedin'to a circular portion fitting the back: Wall land having :central opening through whichthezlightsource extends, and a tongue portion extending from the circular portion and fittingrwithinthe recess.

WILLIAM; J AME S BROWN. 

